The first two times we took our children abroad, we needed it be under a certain budget.  We considered renting out our personal home on VRBO or Airbnb, but having rented out other properties, we were concerned with multiple people coming in and out.  We were also concerned with the idea that paying to stay at our home would entitle  people  to take certain liberties (not keeping the home tidy, breaking an item and not letting us know, ect). So we settled on a Home Swap.  We used the website www.homeexchange.com. 

 You can sign up and then pay a $220 annual fee to be a member and list your home while having access to hundreds of homes to swap with.  We staged our home for photos and posted them to our account which was incredibly simple.  Then the searching stage began.  

Pro Tip: by filtering your search for properties that want to visit your location, you will have more success in interest in swapping!

We started our journey by looking for properties in locations with airfare deals during our availability.

We found a family that was interested in our region that was located in the French Alps.  Their timing matched ours and the airfare was to a city that was within our budget.  The home was located in small French village about 30 minutes from Geneva, Switzerland.  The family also had children the same age as our own children.  This meant a playroom, strollers, and outdoor toys were included for both families in the swap!

When the time came to start our vacation, We prepared our home for about 5 days, or two weekends.  Some of the things we did to prepare our house for the exchange were:

Switching out Bedding, pillows, mattress covers.

Storing valuables and important documents in a locked storage room.

Storing excess toys in the garage.

The Benefits of a Home Swap were plentiful but not limited to:

Our accommodations were free.  The swap is free of cost after the membership fee of $220.

Unlike renting out your own house or leaving it vacant for a vacation,  someone is house sitting for you.  We went for a month, so this came in very handy.  

You have the freedom to choose a vacation in a big city or a small town.  International or Domestic.  The options are endless.

You can pack lightly!  When traveling with our family, we did not need to bring strollers, a pack and play, toys, ect.  They are all included in a family swap if needed!

You have the unique opportunity to really connect with another family.  Our Family and our host family worked so hard to connect and provide insider local advice tailored directly toward each other.  What an incredible experience!

Our experience turned out to be the best international trip we’ve ever taken.  The family was accommodating and kind with our home.  They went above and beyond to make us feel like they were watching our home while accommodating us in their beautiful home.  

I will write more about our full Home Swapping experiences in a later post.  

The Cost for one month in the French Alps-

Accommodation: Free

Air fare: $2,800

Car: We swapped!  Free

Activities: $800

Groceries: $800

Dining Out: $800

Total: $5,200 

Follow My Instagram for more budget travel tips:

https://www.instagram.com/beyondtheusualtrail/

Feel free to DM on Instagram at @beyondtheusualtrail or email me with any questions on how to home swap! 

Get Out There,

Meghan